Infantry or Pilot???

[Broadsword2004]

Okay, this sorta doesn't really fit into any of the threads, but the question is bugging the hell out of me; I am prepping to apply for the Marine Corps Platoon Leader's Class program, which you can apply for PLC-Aviation, PLC-Ground, or PLC-Law. Now joining the military, especially the Marine Corps, to be a lawyer is out of the question for me, as I would never want to be a lawyer, but it is bugging the hell out of me if I should apply for aviation or ground (I'd most likely go infantry if selecting ground).

Being an infantry officer sounds adventurous enough, especially if you can someday get into Force Recon, but I mean being a pilot could be very cool too, especially if you are skilled enough and they want you to fly fighters. I like mountain training, swimming, etc....riding boats, which I assume you can do in infantry, especially if you eventually could get into Recon, but I know that takes awhile and you need to be very good. But I also love technical training, so I wouldn't mind all the tec-stuff aviators have to learn.

I keep feeling I will reason this way: if I go infantry, I will be saying to myself, "Damn, I wish I'd gone with aviation," but I feel if I go aviation, if I become a helicopter pilot, I'll probably be saying to myself, "Damn, I wish I'd gone with infantry."

Just wondering what you guys opinions are, like if you'd go infantry or aviation??

By the way, just on a side note in case it means anything towards opinions, all Marine Officers get infantry training, regardless of their MOS (job) (i.e. all pilots have to qualify on the rifle and pistol, etc...it's the Marines after all haha).

[koto_ryu]

Well. I'm biased on this one obviously As a pilot you'll definitely have fun flying and whatnot, might even get airborne qualified, but it all depends on what you're flying if you'll see action or not as well. You could end up flying C-130s and carting around Humvees and the like.

[Oreomeister365]

I'm in this situation as well.

But first and foremost, I want to know what profession I should go into if I want to design various battlefield devices and or infantry performance enhancers (not drugs).

And also, is their a max age to join the military? Because through my life so far, I only really feel accomplished creating outstanding things if I myself can use them for what they were made to do.

[Broadsword2004]

The max age for the Marines I think is like 29 or 30 or something around that age.

Well, as long as you do very well in flight school, you pretty much should get what you want. Even if you choose fighters, but the Marines need you in helicopters (sometimes it happens backwards and people choose helicopters and end up in fighters), if you are like in the top 60% of your flight classes, you should get around what you want I believe. Whoever is the best gets first pick, and the bottom of the barrel get whatever isn't taken.

Yeah C-130s is a worry.

On the other hand, I believe Infantry is also a tough option for Marine officers. Lots of Marine officers want to be infantry I believe, but not as many get selected cuz you are leading men and it is a demanding job.

But I am still being bugged to death over this.

Oreomeister, that all depends on what you wanna do and what you mean by "various battlefield devices." Those could be anything from big artillery guns to tanks. And then usually each of all that modern equipment contains individual parts that require their own designers and engineers.

If you have no clue what you wanna do, just study like engineering science or something. Or study like computer engineering, electrical engineering, etc...something with lots of math and physics. Those degrees are excellent for grad school preparation for law, medical school, business, or other fields usually. I mean, if you wanna design engines or something, do mechanical engineering, but if you aren't sure or know you want something electronic, do engineering science or electrical or computer engineering. If you wanna program, do computer science.

I dunno how many troops can use what they design, but I do know that if you are like a military pilot, they will often send you to grad school for a little while, and lots of military pilots have degrees in aerospace and aeronautical engineering (i.e. they fly aircraft and they design them or know how to anyway).

There is a guy in my university who just completed his telecommunications engineering technology degree and is going into I believe the Marine Corps (might be Army, I forget, but I think it is Marines) to be a telecom guy or something for them.

[Broadsword2004]

Hey just found out something I didn't know; if you become say a helicopter pilot or even a C-130 pilot, you serve one tour, but then you can apply to transfer to like jets if that is what you really want. The Marine Corps or Navy, if they need a jet pilot for the plane you select, will oftentimes say yes if you are a good pilot in your current aircraft, because you are cheaper to train since you already know the basics to flying, and also, you can be put into service quicker.

Just in case any wanna-be fighter pilots in here are afraid they might have to fly helicopters or something.

So I guess if you have to go like helicopters and wanted jets, then if you did well in helos, you might end up flying like a Cobra or Apache, then you could transition to jets and might fly an F/A-18; that would be really really cool, but you gotta work your ass off for those kinda aircraft.

[Oreomeister365]

I was thinking of something like performance enhancing devices, various things soldiers could use to make them more efficient, and somewhat deadlier (and less suspectable to getting killed).

[Broadsword2004]

Talk to colleges or something I guess about it, and your counselor if you have one (if you mean you are still in high school).